Dance The Night Away
by Ms D Longbottom
Summary: Submission for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. The yule ball is fast approaching and Neville Longbottom is still yet to find a date. How will his night play out?


**AUTHORS NOTE:**

This was kinda rushed as the original was lost when my laptop crashed :( So I had to rewrite this on my friends pad. It was supposed to be up earlier but I ended up in hospital this morning. Please leave a review!

**The Quidditch League Fan Fiction Competition.**

**Team: Pride of Portree**

**Position: Chaser one**

**Paring: Cho x Neville**

**Prompts: blue, open book and dialogue: "Forget about it"**

**Dance The Night Away**

"Hiya Neville!" Cho Chang said cheerfully passing the clumsy Gryffindor in a not so crowded corridor. Startled the young boy dropped the books he was carrying and they scattered across the floor.

"Oh here! Let me help you!" She said hurriedly attempting to help him retrieve his items.

"No!" He replied. "I've got it d..don't worry" He stuttered.

Needless to say she helped the poor boy retrieve his belongings anyway.

"So are you excited for the yule ball?" She asked him kindly.

"Oh yes... I... I've been practicing my dancing."

"That's great" She smiled "Do you have a date?"

"No. Do... do you date?" He asked suddenly, gasping onto his Gryffindor courage. "I...I mean do you have a date?"

"Yes. Cedric asked me." She replied happily.

"That's great. I asked Hermione but she said no... she's already going with Krum... so yeah no date..." He rambled on.

"Well I'm sure someone will go with you. Have you thought about asking Ginny Weasley?"

"No...No I hadn't... thanks."

"Your welcome. Well see you later Neville?" She said kissing his cheek daintily then disappearing down the corridor.

_Strange_ Neville thought as she watched the girl in blue disappear. His cheek felt tingly and warm where she had kissed him. It made his stomach feel like he'd swallowed one of the tickle ferns from green house two. He returned to the Gryffindor common room in a slight daze and sat himself in front of the fire place.

He stacked his school books beside him and concentrated on the flickering flames thinking fondly of his conversation with Cho. There was no denying the Ravenclaw was pretty, far too pretty to ever be bothered with a guy like him. That's when he noticed something sticking out of the corner of one of his books. Intrigued he opened it.

Neville found himself staring at the open book. Tucked in it's pages was a note, written in blue ink in very feminine styled writing

_Save me a dance?_

_Cho x_

Neville was stunned. How had she managed that without him noticing? Perhaps it was a mistake. Maybe the note was meant for someone else? But then why would it be in his book? Especially as the topic of dancing had been what they were just discussing.

"Alright there Neville?"

"Huh? Oh hi Ginny. I'm fine" He replied smiling.

"Okay then..." Ginny laughed and headed for the stairs to the girl's dormitories.

"Oh hey G...Ginny wait..." He said jumping up from his seat. "W...Would you like to go to the ball with me? A...as friends?"

She hesitated for a moment, shocked by his request.

"Sure" She smiled.

"Great" He replied.

"Sorry" Neville apologised again after he stepped on Ginny's toes for the third time.

"It's okay" She winced. "Are you sure you're okay? Your head seems to be somewhere else tonight"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." He replied glancing over in Cho's direction.

She was dancing with Cedric Diggory in the far corner. The night seemed to pass slowly. It was coming close to midnight and most of the other students had already head to bed.

"Well I think i'm going to head back to the common room. You coming?"

"Umm... No. I... i think i'll stick around a little while"

"Okay, see you later then" She replied confused as left him alone on the dance floor.

Neville found himself wandering to the edge of the room and watching the remaining couples dance slowly with each other. He sighed, he hadn't meant to step on Ginny's feet. He search again for Cho and Cedric but couldn't spot either of the pair in the small crowd.

_What were you thinking Longbottom? That a girl like that actually wanted to dance with you? You're lucky Ginny even said yes._

"Did you find my note?" A voice whispered in his ear making him jump. It was Cho.

"Y...y...yes" He stuttered.

"And yet you didn't ask me to dance" She smiled.

"You seemed preoccupied. Where's Cedric?" He asked.

"He went to the bathroom. He'll be back in a few minutes. In the meantime care to dance with me?"

She held her hand out to find and Neville couldn't help but notice how small and delicate her hands looked. He took her out stretched palm in his.

_Do not step on her toes. Do not! step on her toes_

"So did you have fun tonight?" She asked him resting her head on his shoulder while they danced.

"Not as much as I could have." He mumbled

"Oh?"

"Didn't come with the girl I would of liked to of come with" He explained.

"Oh I see" She said sadly "I'm sorry Hermione couldn't come with you"

"I wasn't talking about Hermione. I asked her because I thought she was the most likely gryffindor girl to say yes..."

"The who did you mean?" She asked casually, lifting her head from his shoulder and looking him in the eye.

Neville felt the same butterfly feeling he had experienced when she kissed his cheek. Somewhere deep in the bit of his stomach he felt a kick of Gryffindor courage.

"Now that would be telling" He replied softly.

"Well what about showing?" She whispered, drawing her face in closer to his.

"I don't see a problem with that" He smiled.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. All he could here was the rumble of blood pounding in his ears and his heavy shallow breathing. She closed her eyes and drew her body closer to his. He closed his own eyes and captured her lips with his own.

In reality it was sudden, over quickly and a little wet, but it was a kiss none the less.

As he pulled away he couldn't help but grin and looked around to see if anyone had seen them, however the couples around them were far to invested in their partners to notice them.

"I should probably go find where Cedric got to..." Cho said quietly the colour rising in her cheeks so they tinged pink. "Thank you, for the dance and the kiss"

"Forget about it" He replied happily. "Don't mention it. Any time. Oh Merlin I'm rambling on aren't I?"

"Just a bit" She giggled. "Good night Neville. We should do this again sometime. Hogsmeade maybe?"

"Sounds like a plan"

She kissed his cheek again, as she had done so in the not so crowded corridor and left the great hall in search of Cedric. He watched as she left, a feeling of triumph rising in his chest.

He, Neville Longbottom had kissed the beautiful Cho Chang.


End file.
